High Stakes By: Amy Michelle Bitter (c)1997 (borgqueena@yahoo.com) Star Trek and it's characters are owned by Paramount, Inc. Everything else including the character of Jill Carter, (name after my sister, Hi Jill!) is owned by me. "Well, looks like I win again." B'Elanna smirked. She had just won her third game of volleyball in a row against Tom Paris. "It's all luck." Tom tried hopelessly to justify his loss. "Just hand over the replicator rations." B'Elanna said. "I think we agreed on two weeks worth." "It was one week's worth." Tom reminded her. "Can't blame a girl for trying." B'Elanna smiled. "So do you want a rematch or do you just want to hand over the rations right now." "A rematch, definitely." Tom said. "But this time, lets make the stakes a little more interesting. If I win you have to go on a date with me. A real date complete with a good night kiss." "A date? I don't know Tom." B'Elanna answered. "Afraid you'll lose?" Tom asked. "Fine," B'Elanna said. "It's a bet. But I know I'll win." "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Tom said. "Oh, and why is that?" "Because I never had anything worth winning for before." Tom flirted. "Your going to lose, Tom So just give up on the date idea right now." "I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we? 1300 hours next Thursday." Tom said. ------ Tom and B'Elanna were still arguing about who was going to win the rematch when they walked out of the turbolift onto the Bridge together. They continued arguing until they both reached their stations and Tuvok gave them a look that just said, 'shut up.' "My moneys on B'Elanna." Chakotay whispered to Captain Janeway. "What?" Janeway asked. "The volleyball game," Chakotay reminded her. "B'Elanna will win, no contest." "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Janeway smiled. "I know volleyball, and I've seen Tom play, he's pretty good." "Well, I personally taught B'Elanna everything I know about volleyball." Chakotay bragged. "You play?" "I haven't played serious volleyball since high school. My team won the Iowa state volleyball championship." Janeway said. "Here you go, Captain." Harry Kim interrupted handing her a PADD. "Here's that report on the long range sensors you wanted." "Thanks, Harry." The captain smiled. Harry turned to walk away, but he turned back around and said, "Neither of you have seen volleyball until you've seen me play." "Looks like we've got a crew of volleyball players." Janeway smiled at Chakotay. "OK, B'Elanna." Tom called from his station. "I've got a new bet for you. Harry and I against you. Same stakes." "Don't make me laugh." She called back. "I could bet both of you with one hand tied behind my back. But, I got Chakotay on my team. You in Chakotay?" B'Elanna asked. "Sure, I'll play, but only if you do." Chakotay said to the captain. "Me?" Janeway asked. "I haven't played in years." "Oh come one, Captain." Tom called from the helm. "You can be on my team." "All right, I'll play." The Captain agreed. "But, now the teams are uneven." Harry pointed out. "Well, it looks like you'll either have to find someone else to be on your team, or forfeit." Tom said. "We'll find another player." Chakotay said. "Even if we don't, B'Elanna and I could beat you ourselves." ------ Ensign Jill Carter walked briskly through Main Engineering. She was a tall women, almost six feet tall with long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail that bounced when she walked. "Lieutenant," Ensign Carter said. "I finished that diagnostic on the warp core." "Already?" B'Elanna asked in amazement. B'Elanna never knew how good of an engineer Jill actually was. Jill usually worked the night shift, but today she was filling in for Freddie Bristow who was out with the flu. She'd never realized how tall Jill was either. B'Elanna just found the missing member of her volleyball team. "Yes, Lieutenant." Jill said handing her the PADD. "Good work, ensign." B'Elanna said. Ensign Carter turned to walk away, but B'Elanna called, "Ensign?" "Yes, Lieutenant?" Jill asked turning back around, her ponytail bouncing. "Did you ever play volleyball?" "Yes, I did. Back in my academy days." Jill answered. Which wasn't very long ago, serving aboard Voyager was Jill's second deep space mission. She had spent almost two years aboard the U.S.S. Capricorn right after she graduated. "How would you like to help me win a bet?" B'Elanna asked. "I beg your pardon, Lieutenant?" Jill asked. "What I mean is," B'Elanna explained. "Would you like to be on my volleyball team?" ------ "I've found our new teammate." B'Elanna announced to Chakotay when she ran into him in the turbolift later that day. "Really, who?" Chakotay asked. "Ensign Carter." B'Elanna said. "Jill Carter. We're sure to win now. I heard she played a mean game of volleyball back in her academy days." Chakotay said. B'Elanna smiled, she was sure to beat Tom now. Not that she didn't want to go on a date with him, she really did. It was just the principal of the matter. If Tom was going to ask her out, she wanted to make sure he meant it. That it wasn't just some prize he won in a volleyball game. As for the good night kiss part, she could think of worse people to kiss. ------ Harry sat down at the table next to Tom plopping his food tray in front of him. "Did you hear?" He asked. "Hear what?" Tom wondered. "B'Elanna found the last member of her team." "Who?" Tom asked. "Jill Carter." "Jill Carter? That really tall girl who works the night shift in engineering?" Tom asked. "Yeah, that's her." Harry replied. "And she's one hell of a volleyball player. She was in her last year in the academy when I was in my first. She lead her team to quite a few victories."   The day of the game had finally come. Everyone on board had come to the holodeck to witness the main event. Well, almost everyone. Tuvok had insisted on staying on the Bridge. The Doctor was going to be the referee, and Kes the scorekeeper. "Are you ready to lose?" B'Elanna asked Tom. "Me? Lose?" Tom asked. "If I were you, I'd start picking out what your going to wear on our date tonight." "Take your places everyone." The Doctor called. Tom, Captain Janeway, and Harry went to their side of the court, and B'Elanna, Jill and Chakotay retreated to their side. "It's your serve, Lieutenant." Jill called to B'Elanna tossing her the ball. "Thanks." B'Elanna said catching the ball. "Oh, and when were off duty, call me B'Elanna." B'Elanna pulled her arm back and swung it around, giving the ball a hard hit. The ball flew over the net. Harry hit it and it flew back over the net to Jill who spiked it. "Point." The Doctor said, motioning to B'Elanna's side of the court. "You're going down, Paris." B'Elanna called over to Tom. "I think your getting a little ahead of yourself." Tom called back. "it was only one point." ------ The first two games were over. B'Elanna, Jill and Chakotay had won the first game by a score of 15-11. Jill lived up o everyone's expectations and scored 9 of the 15 points. The second game, Tom, Harry, and the Captain had won by a score of 15-13. Captain Janeway had totally underestimated herself. She was still as good as she was in high school. It was now time for the third game, the game that would decide it all. -------- The game was all tied up with a score of 14-14. "Getting a little nervous?" Tom asked B'Elanna. "Your the one who should be nervous." She retorted. It was Tom's serve. He threw the ball into the air with one hand, reached back with the other hand and gave it a firm hit. The ball soared through the air, over the net, and began to head in B'Elanna's direction. "Get it, B'Elanna!" Jill shouted. B'Elanna dove for the ball, falling down on one knee. She hit the ball and it flew straight up in the air. Tom jumped up in the air and quickly spiked the ball back over the net. "Point." The Doctor said. "And that's the game." Tom was amazed. He had never known B'Elanna to blow a shot like that.. "Well, it looks like you won." B'Elanna said to Tom. "Pick you up at 1800 hours." Tom smiled. *Ding dong* B'Elanna's doorbell sounded. "Come in." She ordered from the bedroom. The doors opened and Tom Paris entered. "B'Elanna?" He called. "I'll be out in a minute." She called back. Tom had a seat on the couch in the living area of B'Elanna's quarters and began to examine the mess of confusion laid out in front of him on the coffee table. PADDs scattered everywhere, all with different reports and diagnostics. Her quarters were spotless, other than the table. "Ahem." B'Elanna cleared in throat as she entered the room to get Tom's attention. Tom quickly looked up from the table to see B'Elanna standing there wearing a dress. He had never seen her wear a dress, other than that time at the luau. "B'Elanna you look.." Tom started. "Girlie." She suggested. B'Elanna hated dressing up. "I'd say more along the lines of spectacular." He corrected her. "Well, you said to dress nice." She reminded him. "You look more than just nice." She was wearing a short black satin dress. The dress was sleeveless and form-fitting with a high neck line. "So, where are we going anyway?" B'Elanna asked trying to take the attention off of herself. "It's a surprise." He told her. "Let's go." -------- The two stood outside of holodeck two. "Close your eyes." Tom instructed her. "Do what?" "Close your eyes." He repeated. "Why?" "I told you, it's a surprise." Tom said. "I hate surprises." "Oh come on, B'Elanna, just do it." "Fine." She gave in and closed her eyes. "Are they closed?" Tom asked. "Yes." "How many fingers am I holding up?" "Tom!" She said, beginning to get irritated. "Ok, ok." He said. The holodeck doors opened and they walked in. "You can open your eyes now." Tom said. She opened her eyes and asked, "Where are we?" "A cafe." Tom replied. "Well, I can see that." B'Elanna said. "But, where?" "Italy." "Italy?" She asked. "Why Italy?" "They have the best spaghetti in the galaxy." Tom smirked. -------- Tom and B'Elanna walked through the corridors of Voyager towards her quarters. Tom had insisted on walking her there. *Probably to make sure he gets his good night kiss.* B'Elanna thought. "I had a really good time." B'Elanna said when they reached her quarters. "Me too." Tom agreed. She turned to walk in the door, but Tom said, "Aren't you forgetting something?" "The kiss." She said. "It was part of the agreement." Tom smirked. "But, I just have to ask you one thing first. That last shot of the game, did you blow that shot on purpose?" "Tom," B'Elanna said. "Shut up and kiss me before I change my mind." "Yes ma'am." He said and leaned to kiss her on the lips. After a few seconds, she pulled away before he could get to close. "Good night, Tom." She said as she turned to enter her quarters. ***THE END***